Palermo, a taste of Sicily

When we began planning our Grand Tour from England to New Zealand, there was one must-visit place on my list: Sicily. Now this fascination with visiting probably started in childhood, with my sister being called Cicely… yes, different spelling, but it sowed a seed that had finally bloomed into a stunning Pomelia begging to be picked. How we landed on Palermo, I’m not sure, but after reading some travel blogs and scouring Airbnb, we were off! Here are our three favourite things we did while visiting. 

Wandering the streets of Palermo

CORSO VITTORIO EMANUELE

What we coined as Palermo’s royal mile was actually Corso Vittorio Emanuele, the oldest street in Palermo that ran from Porta Felice to Piazza della Vittoria. Our Airbnb led us right to the Quattro Canti, built in 1600. This square is famous for an array of reasons, our favourite being that at least one side of it is bathed in sun at any given time during the day. From here we would begin our daily meander amongst the shops, cafes, and incredible churches. 

I will include the Palermo Cathedral and Norman Palace here as they are situated upon Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Two incredible pieces of architecture and history, full of their own secrets that are itching to be discovered. Another church tucked away along the procession to the Palace is the Church of Most Holy Saviour. Step inside to discover a baroque masterpiece that narrowly escaped destruction in the Second World War.

The Palermo Cathedral

CEFALÙ 

Located a 45-minute train ride away from Palermo, the charming seaside town of Cefalù. We were on a mission to find a swimming spot when we stumbled upon the recommendation to visit, and we were not disappointed…well, that was until it came time to visit the beach. We naively picked up lunch supplies and made our way down to the water; however, this was the same plan as the other 5,000 visitors this day. Instead of spending the afternoon bouncing between the sea and the sand, we spent it perched on a shaded curbside, watching the world go by. While this wasn’t a terrible reality, it wasn’t the beach day we were after! So, while we can’t recommend it for a swimming spot during a European heatwave in July, we can highly recommend it as a day trip spot to visit a smaller, more quaint town. Gran had a field day exploring the local pottery shops and the Duomo di Cefalù! All in all, it was a wonderful day exploring outside of the main city. 

The streets of Cefalù

A’NICA

While Toby and I are not known for being lovers of food (or more so, lovers of spending money on food (unless it’s sushi), we surprisingly have a restaurant recommendation for Palermo! Night one, we set off on an adventure to find somewhere to celebrate the commencement of our Grand Tour home. After a day of travelling and being slapped in the face by decision fatigue, I set Toby the task of finding us somewhere. This is rather unusual as a type A, self-diagnosed autistic woman, but when push comes to shove, I can relinquish control and let Toby thrive. And, he did just that! We arrived at a beautiful restaurant tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the city. As soon as we were welcomed, we knew we were in for a treat. There was a range of Sicilian cuisine to suit any occasion, paired with lovely wines and even a cheeky cannoli to top it off. This restaurant was a treat. Toby had the pistachio-crusted lamb chops, Gran had the langoustine-crusted bass, and I went with the aubergine pasta. After which we all waddled back to our accommodation in the balmy Palermo night.

While visiting Palermo is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to exploring Sicily, it was a wonderful place to start. If we had an extra 2 weeks to spend in Italy, there is a long list of places we would have loved to check out. If you’re like us and only have time to spend in one place in Sicily, Palermo is a brilliant taster for what the region has to offer; from history to Mediterranean coastline, there is something for everyone.